Nashville Tax Preparer Sentenced for Conspiracy and Filing False Tax Returns

Joshua Gotwe Chinamora, 37, of Plano, Texas, was sentenced on April 4, 2016, to 18 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release, on charges of conspiracy and filing false tax returns, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee and Tracey D. Montaño, Special Agent in Charge, IRS – Criminal Investigation.  United States District Court Judge Todd J. Campbell also ordered Chinamora to pay restitution of $140,705.00 to the IRS.

On November 9, 2015, Chinamora pleaded guilty to two counts of an 11-count indictment, previously filed on March 26, 2014, charging Chinamora and co-defendant, Moven Mpofu, with conspiracy and preparing false tax returns. Chinamora admitted that between January 2007 and April 2010, he and Mpofu operated Acura Tax Service (ATS) in Nashville, Tennessee, and prepared and filed approximately 58 false tax returns. The false returns, which were electronically transmitted to the IRS from the ATS Nashville office, each claimed false refunds ranging from $1,400 to $7,600. The false entries on the returns included filing status, moving expenses, medical expenses, gifts to charity, child and dependent care credits, education credits and dependent credits.

The individuals for whom Chinamora and Mpofu prepared and filed returns did not provide the defendants with the false information and did not know that the returns were falsely prepared.

Mpofu is currently a federal fugitive and his case remains pending before the court. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This investigation was conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Moses represented the United States.